Many systems and methods exist for processing images obtained from standard-bit depth sensors and cameras. However, when employing high-bit sensors such as x-rays, high dynamic range monochromatic day cameras, image intensifiers, and infrared imagers for example, some of the information captured in the digital image is lost or not displayed to the user when utilizing standard processing techniques. This is due to the fact that typical commercial displays utilizes an 8-bit format to display information. Contrastingly, certain high-bit sensors gather information in 10, 12 or even 16-bit format. The additional information contained in the images captured by high-bit sensors therefore cannot be accurately displayed or displayed in a useful manner on a commercial 8-bit display.
Typical commercial color displays containing 8-bit resolution are relatively inexpensive and commonly available. Higher bit depth monitors, i.e., those capable of processing 10, 12, or even 16 bits of information are not as common and are often very expensive. Monochrome monitors are typically 10-bit monitors and allow for display of higher depth of information. These 10-bit monitors, are similar to color or RGB monitors with the color filters removed, thereby allowing for the two additional bits of information. However, such higher bit monitors are more expensive and are not as common place as typical lower-bit color monitors.
High-bit depth sensors typically capture images monochromatically. At times, it is desirable to color enhance the images to allow the user to process the data. Standard color enhancement techniques, however, often make enhanced images confusing or mask detailed data contained in the image.
Typical image processing that includes any sort of frame averaging suffers from temporal blurring effects when an object moves rapidly within a frame.
High-bit sensors may at times contain more data then can be readily displayed, typically, high-bit sensor data processing results in a loss of contrast as a result of attempting to process the most globally statistically significant data at the expense of the local or detailed data.
Accordingly, a need therefore exists for an image processing method that maximizes the information availability and usefulness through the processing of captured imagery or video from a high-bit depth sensor and presents it to a user utilizing a commercially available lower-bit display.
Furthermore, a need exists for an image processing method and apparatus that can color enhance high-bit depth monochromatic images in such a manner as to allow the enhanced images to be displayed and understood by a user utilizing a standard color monitor.
Additionally, a need exists for an image processing technique that allows for averaging to be on at all times to remove such noise without suffering from the blurring effects typically caused by frame averaging.
Similarly, there is a need for an image processing method that processes data both on a global basis as well as on a local basis, to ensure that both the statistically significant data is presented to the user, that the relative position of the elements are maintained, and local contrasts are maintained.
The present invention overcomes these needs in the prior art.